Evolution of nutrition science and its impact on the development of new fats and oils

Abstract: Over the last few decades, there have been several changes in the consensus of nutrition scientists in regard to fats and oils. At one point, animal fats were thought to be harmful due to the cholesterol and saturated fatty acids they contained. Industry developed and commercialized partially hydrogenated vegetable oils that provided both oxidative stability and solid fat functionality. The trans fats in these partially hydrogenated vegetable oils were later found to also have negative impacts on low density cholesterol levels in the blood. Industry again needed to develop stable and functional fats and oils that did not contain trans fatty acids. This talk will review how industry adapted to these findings and developed innovative new products that with improved nutrition.

During these times of change for the industry, two innovations became important. First, some vegetable oils did not have the oxidative stability to perform in all applications. An analytical method that quickly, accurately and easily provided a measurement of oxidative stability was needed to guide the formulation of oil blends and antioxidants needed. Second, a method of producing functional fats with the desired solid fat content profiles from liquid vegetable oils was also needed. Chemical interesterification was a technology that could be utilized, but it had some issues that one might want to avoid. At the time, developments in enzymatic interesterification enabled an environmentally better processing technology, but the cost had to be improved to make it viable. Those improvements and the commercial success of the technology in producing commodity functional fats will be discussed.

Lastly, the evolution of nutrition science will likely require future developments from the food industry to meet new global demands. Some thoughts on those future developments, based on these and other past experiences, will also be discussed.